Mon Plaisir

Mon Plaisir is London's oldest French restaurant, serving classic Gallic cooking on Monmouth Street since the 1940s. Family-run and spread across a series of characterful dining rooms decorated with vintage French artefacts and echoes of Montmartre, it is a piece of old Covent Garden that has changed remarkably little while the streets around it have been transformed.

The restaurant describes itself as a touch of Paris in the West End, and the menus bear that out. Seasonal carte dishes celebrate traditional French cooking: freshly baked baguettes, onion soup, escargots, confit de canard, coq au vin, steak, the well-known cheese trolley and creme brulee, paired with a carefully chosen list of French wines. Vegetarian dishes are available and some can be adapted for vegan guests if mentioned when booking.

French restaurant in Covent Garden for over half a century

Moments from the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden station, Mon Plaisir has long been a favourite for pre-theatre dining. Set pre- and post-theatre menus are designed for guests heading to or returning from a show, with quick service that does not cut corners on flavour. The rooms also suit romantic dinners, long lunches with friends and special celebrations, and group bookings and private events can be arranged with bespoke menus.

What to expect on a visit

The restaurant opens every day from midday, serving until 10pm from Monday to Saturday with last seating at 8pm on Sundays. Rooms full of Gallic bric-a-brac, close tables and long-serving staff give it the feel of a Parisian bistro rather than a polished West End operation. It is one of the most enduring names among Covent Garden's fine dining restaurants, and if your tastes run to seafood rather than cassoulet, Parsons on Endell Street is a few minutes' walk away. For classic French food in Covent Garden, it remains the benchmark.